Parasomnias

Video Transcript

"I wanted to touch briefly on sort of a catch all term that we use for a few different sleep disorder, a few different sleep disorders that we would see called parasomnias. Parasomnia basically refers to any sort of behavior that occurs during sleep that is more appropriate during the day. Sleepwalking would be the most well known Parasomnia. There has also been instances of sleep eating, sleep sex, acting out dreams, REM behavior disorder would constitute a Parasomnia although it's a disorder unto itself that involves people acting out dreams their having during the REM phase of sleep. Parasomnias are most commonly seen in children, and indeed there is a whole wing of sleep disorders dedicated to pediatric concerns. So if you feel your child is having sleep issues and you take them to their primary pediatrician, it is always best to seek out a pediatric sleep disorders doctor for further treatment beyond what your pediatrician can provide. Parasomnias are disruptive to sleep because even though the patient might not be aware of what they're doing, there is still disruption in their sleep quality going on. They might not have any recollection of what they're doing during the day. All they know is that they're tired so Parasomnia that's chronic and ongoing merits treatment by a sleep disorders physician. In adults they're usually seen as a byproduct of depression or stress, and it's not uncommon once the depression is resolved or the stress is resolved to have the Parasomnic behavior end in that particular patient."